HANOVER – Dartmouth finished final exams on Monday.
Midterms are on Wednesday.
Confused yet? Listen to what Big Green coach Sammy McCorkle had to say Tuesday morning after the final practice ahead of the first of two preseason scrimmages.
“We’ve got a little bit of a depth chart off nine practices,” he explained. “Now it’s, all right, let’s put everyone, but especially the guys who haven’t played in a game situation, out there and see if the lights are too bright for them. Will the opportunity be too big for them, or are they going to be able to handle it?
“That’s what we want to find out. We tell them it’s like they’ve been taking quizzes and quizzes and quizzes, and now you’ve got your midterm exam. Now we’ll see how you are doing, and we’ll grade it afterwards.”
And make no mistake about it, jobs are at stake.
More than you might think, actually.
“We’re looking at everybody,” McCorkle said. “They all know that and are aware that they’ve got to come out here and compete, because there are no gimmes.
“The guys running with the ones have to know the guys who are right behind them are coming. They are biting at their heels every single day. That kind of competition motivates everyone to get better.”
With Tuesday’s practice, the Big Green crossed the midway point of preseason, and McCorkle was pleased to see the defense bounce back after a sluggish performance on Monday.
“I challenged the defense after yesterday’s practice,” he said. “They just didn’t have the energy we need, and that they usually have. We were a little passive. I challenged them, and our defensive coaches to challenge them, and they responded well.
“What I liked seeing was the offense knew they were going to come out swinging today and they met the challenge. It was great competition today.”
PUTTING THE DD IN DEFENSE
At least one of the reasons for the uptick in excitement on the defensive side might have been a familiar face prowling on the sidelines.
Don Dobes, who retired last winter after giving Ivy League offenses fits as the Big Green’s defensive coordinator since arriving in Hanover in 2010, was in town checking out both his former players and the freshmen he recruited. McCorkle even had him “break down” the huddle at midfield after the session.
“I talked to him last week and he said he was going to be in town,” the head coach said. “My daughter actually gave me a heads up that he was at Lou’s (restaurant) this morning, so we had a Dobes sighting.
“I was excited to have him show up and watch us. I know it’s good for him, too. And I definitely wanted to make sure he broke down the team at the end. It felt like old times.”
LOOKING BACK
Tuesday was a chance for Dartmouth players to see Don Dobes as something more than a coach.
The players had a chance to see the current staff the same way last Saturday when they had their annual day of R&R at Storrs Pond, the Hanover recreation area. The annual outing is a break from practice and drills, but it’s more than that according to McCorkle.
“It’s good fun,” he said. “We tell them to forget about football for a few hours, relax and just have fun. It’s good for our young guys to continue to develop friendships and relationships with our players.
“But it's also a chance to see our new staff somewhere other than here. We’ve got a bunch of young families here now, and a lot of our staff brought their kids and their wives to Storrs Pond. It was great to see our players mingle and spend time with our coaches’ families and be reminded that, hey, we're more than just coaches. We’re dads and we're husbands, and that's part of the family atmosphere here.”
SENIOR MOMENTS
McCorkle likes to have his seniors on both sides of the ball address their younger teammates after meetings. He was particularly impressed by the message shared by Ian Scott, the wide receiver who is having a terrific camp.
“He said one thing he enjoyed when he started playing better was realizing how much guys on our team root for each other to do well,” McCorkle said. “Even other guys at your position. To me, that’s who we are, and who we have as players. That makes you better and makes our team better.”
ABOUT THE SCRIMMAGE
Because the college has orientation Wednesday on Memorial Field for students taking freshman trips, those here for pre-orientation programming, and freshman athletes, the scrimmage is set for Blackman Practice Fields.
Rain could force the action into the Indoor Practice Facility, but McCorkle isn’t concerned if that happens.
“We’ve had good practices in there,” he said. “We’ve done a couple of spring games in there, so we’re good if we need to go in.”
The format for the scrimmage will be familiar.
“When we do the scrimmage aspect of it, we’re going to play it out,” McCorkle said. “We’ll also have some controlled stuff. Red zone, coming out, a two-minute situation before the half. The kind of thing we usually do.
“Other than that, we’ll have two big chunks of series where we’re just going to play it out, game style.”
HOW WAS PRACTICE AND DID ANYONE CATCH YOUR EYE?
McCorkle: “I tell you, we competed. Each side competed and did a good job.
“We had some highs on both sides, and we had a little bit of lows on both sides. But I thought that both sides of the football responded and it was good competition across the board.”
Added the head coach:
“Harrison (Keith) had a nice pick in the red zone. He did a heckuva job. Kareem Fisher continues making big plays.
“I thought Bruce Williams played with his hair on fire today. He’s playing fast and confident and is hard to block. It’s good to have him as a counter to Joshua (Johnson).”
Also getting a mention iswasa converted tight end from Hungary.
“Gergely Hudák did a good job penetrating today. He was more focused and disciplined. I like what he showed today.”
NAMING NAMES
Plays, players, and notable goings-on that earned a notation in one onlooker's notebook Tuesday included Chris Roper being loudly cheered after breaking into the end zone during a red zone period … Sean Chester with a clean “tackle” at the line of scrimmage in the same period … Matt Boydell staring down a running back trying to juke him and refusing to bite before wrapping up the back … Colin O’Garro with a red zone score and quarterback Grayson Saunier going airborne in celebration.
Also, Saunier finding quarterback-turned-tight end Kyle Meier for a TD at the right front of the end zone … Roper forcing a missed tackle with a good cut and scoring … Jacob Henry capitalizing on solid blocking up front for an easy score from just outside the five … Charlie Peters with a well-thrown TD to Jonathan Nelson in the back of the end zone … James Rush with a nice stop shy of the end zone … A Jaden Cummings pass to closely guarded Kareem Fisher in the back right part of the end zone setting off a huge offensive celebration … Harrison Keith with an interception at the two to shut down the "ones."
And during the final team period, Joshua Johnson with a sack – although Saunier showed his wheels and perhaps a little frustration with the quick whistle by sprinting up the right sideline … Bruce Williams with a fumble recovery … Saunier with a nice hookup to Cameron Bates on a post pass … Noah Trigueros with a well-timed completion to James Elliott for a gain of about 30 yards.
ON TAP
Practice No. 10 is the first scrimmage of the preseason at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday, either on Blackman or at the Indoor Practice Facility. There’s no formal practice on Thursday, then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday sessions will lead into the final scrimmage on Monday, Sept. 7.